The Virtual
Health Library (VHL) is a space for integration of information sources
collectively produced and organized into geographic, thematic, biographical or
institutional instances.

Aim:

The
creation of the VHL Prevention and Cancer Control aims at developing an open
and collaborative space for the management of scientific and technical
information regarding this subject. Information sources offer subsidies to managers
and health professionals in decision making, training and public policy
formulation.

Strategy/Tactics:

Aiming at
promoting knowledge management in the area of ​​cancer control in Brazil, the Ministry of Health created
within its institutional VHL, a thematic area dedicated to it. However, the
project met greater proportions and it became essential to develop a thematic
VHL instance on prevention and cancer control which could function as a
national information reference.

Programme/Policy Process:

Once a VHL
develops its activities through a cooperative network of institutions which are
users and producers of information, it was essential to structure such a
network within the field of cancer control and develop a governance model that could
allow its sustainable operation. The model is composed of Executive Secretary,
Advisory Committee, Executive Committee and Responsibility Matrix. The
institutions which are part of this collaborative network have been selected in
order to represent the regional diversity present in Brazil and also the diverse profiles of institutions
related to cancer control, such as research, academia, government, scientific
societies and organizations representing patients.

Outcomes/What was learned:

The
development of VHL Prevention and Control of Cancer has been a success and the
institutions that are part of the collaborative network are enriching the library
databases with its scientific production. The experience of VHL Prevention and Cancer
Control shows that having governance structures clearly defined from the beginning
facilitates the collaborative work.